The Sahara Desert, North Africa - The Largest Deserts in the World The Sahara Desert, North Africa is the largest desert in the world . Its area is more than 9 million square kilometers. It covers almost the whole of North Africa: Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Sudan, Libya, Algeria, etc. In fact, the Sahara Desert is 30% of the entire African continent. This is the hottest hot spot in the world with summer temperatures often exceeding 57 degrees Celsius. In summer the temperature is above 33 ° C, in winter, it is usually kept within 15-28 ° C, especially hot in the daytime is in Libya were reported temperature rises to 58 ° C. This area is characterized by strong winds, they are able to move the sandy dust even in the Atlantic and on the European continent. , the greatest desert on the Earth has 7 million square km 2. The Sahara desert was already in prehistoric times. However, in the history of the Sahara encountered times when it was covered with grassland or forest. At the last glacial period the climate was wetter in Sahara, than now.

It is assumed that it was over heated, covered with gravel, rushing storms, throwing in the face of quartz sand, fifty or a hundred thousand years ago there were extensive shallow muddy lakes, which were surrounded by reeds and water lilies. Fish splashing in the warm water, and in the coastal thickets of mimosa hid various animals resembling wild animals in tropical Africa today. But when the heat and the lack of water became unbearable, the man and the animal left the desert. Throughout the desert were found a variety of tools used by the old man in the Paleolithic era. The most difficult challenge when traveling across the Sahara could be the sand or the dust storm, in which the scorching wind powerfully lifts a heap of dust and sand to heaven. There is no secret that there can be more than 150 thousand mirages to watch in the desert. There are some maps for the caravans, which represent the most likely locations of a mirage, and even specify what kind of mirage can be seen in a particular place - an oasis, a well or a palm tree. Today you can get quite simple to the Sahara or in any city on the North Coast of Africa. For example, from Algeria to the south.

There is a decent highway, which will take about a day's journey. The Sahara is a constantly changing desert under the influence of perpetual winds, the wind carries hundreds of billions of grains of sand from one place to another, in some cases, the sand can be found in almost every region of the Earth. Tourists may happen to see beautiful landscapes here, which are low pieces of rock, oddly changed over the time under the influence of the sand and the wind. In general, the surface of the desert comprises sand dunes (ergs or), as well as clay and rocky areas. Archaeological excavations indicate that earlier the Sahara desert was a more humid terrain with magnificent savannas, which nowadays can be found only in the Tibesti and Darfur. The rest of the desert is contented with occasional rainfall, the size of which is barely a year, 250 mm in the northern territory. In the south their number is much lower, about 25 mm. There are dry periods, lasting up to three years, during which there is no precipitation at all. The only surface of water source in the Sahara is the Nile river, which crosses it on the east.

Due to the presence of groundwater in an arid desert, it is possible to use deep wells to provide moisture and oases of cultivation in these dates, olives and grapes. The most memorable experience for guests of the Sahara will be the setting of the sun in a quiet, sunny weather! The amazing range of colors magically shimmer, shine, cover the entire sky and slowly begins to fade. At the same time over the desert suddenly comes complete darkness, coming to replace the indescribable riot of the colors of the sunset! Sponsored Links By Romanelli Ana Sponsored Links map Algeria Others from The Largest Deserts in the World A desert is the most barren and unfriendly terrain, which is a vast space, where rainfall is rarely less than 25 cm per year. Under such dry conditions it is hard for the plants to live and the soils to form. There is anything that protects the earth from overheating in these areas. The hottest place on the Earth is the tropical desert, but there are coldest , even icy deserts, for instance, Antarctica. Deserts cover approximately 20% of the Earth's land surface and 80% in Australia , therefore, a fifth of the Earth's land area belongs to the deserts.

Many of the major deserts are located near the tropics, such as the Sahara desert which is the largest desert in the world, as well as the Kalahari, the Namib Desert and the Grand Victoria in Australia. Droughts During the grazing of cattle during droughts disorders of vegetation occur. They are so significant that are likely unrecovered. The sun's rays quickly dry the soil and turn to dust, which happens to desertification, a continuous transformation of the land in the desert. A desert with a change in climatic conditions can always shrink and expand. The long-term global climate change or contraction of the continents can garden the desert or turn it into a magnificent forest. Short-lived changes in weather conditions influence the expansion of its borders, turning occasionally green areas in arid deserts. The hottest places on the Earth are the tropical desert, where the daytime temperatures often reach +50 ° C. This heat can destroy the stones and give the landscape an unusual character. The underground water evaporates so quickly that minerals are dissolved from the crust. Deserts are constantly dry, but in other natural areas prolonged dry periods can occur - the droughts. Their presence in any place depends on what kind of rainfall is there.

There was a drought in Sahel, Africa, that lasted many months without rain. However, droughts are regular and in some places they are with a typical moisture content, such as the North American grasslands which dry up every 22 years. Water plays a significant role in shaping the dry landscape, despite of its low quantity in the desert . Water alters the chemical composition of rocks, now and then it is dumped in the desert from the sky, at times becoming the cause of short, but strong flash floods, which are harmful to the soil. Do all the deserts have very high temperatures and a lot of sand? We call a desert an area where not more than 25 inches of rain falls per year. As a rule, deserts are formed in the hot desert climates, but there are exceptions. Most deserts have a lot of rocks and stones and sand. What is the biggest desert? The most extensive deserts are located in areas of high atmospheric pressures. All the winds blow in areas of their inner regions, but the moist winds from the sea reach them very rarely. There are those deserts, which are near the sea, and yet the sea winds will reach them, they lose most of moisture on the way.

Certain deserts are formed on the internal continental slopes of mountain ranges, well sheltered from the sea winds. Almost all of Antarctica is a huge frozen desert, which is located in an area of high pressure, so that its interior is extremely small drops of fresh snow. The driest desert in the world. In many deserts there is no rain for several years in a row, then a short downpour happens and everything starts all over again. The most arid desert is the Atacama Desert in South America . Until 1971, there were 400 years without spilling a drop. It is known that in several places in the desert, there are artesian waters, but the high boron content makes them unsuitable for irrigation. What is an oasis? An oasis is a plot of land in the desert, which is covered with vegetation. It feeds from underground springs or natural wells. The largest desert in the world The largest desert in the world is the Sahara Desert in North Africa. Its area is of approximately 8400 sq. km. However, only ten percent of its territory is covered with sand, and everything else is taken by bare rocks and stones.

After Sahara, we have the Arabian desert, the Gobi, the Patagonian,the Rub’ al Khali, the Great Victoria, the Kalahari, the Great Basin, the Chihuahuan and the Thar. Images of The Sahara Desert, North Africa, icons, photos, figures, visions, appearances, illustrations, snapshots, captures, canvas and pictures of The Sahara Desert, North Africa - The Largest Deserts in the World The Sahara Desert, North Africa - Magnificent place The Sahara Desert, North Africa - Arabian camel The Sahara Desert, North Africa - Fantastic view The Sahara Desert, North Africa - Long caravan The Sahara Desert, North Africa - Beautiful landscape The Sahara Desert, North Africa - Indescribable sunset The Sahara Desert, North Africa - Wonderful dunes The Sahara Desert, North Africa - Enigmatic place The Sahara Desert, North Africa - Amazing view Sponsored Links Largest Desert in the World - Desert Map Home » Records » Largest Desert The World's Largest Deserts A map showing the generalized location of Earth's ten largest deserts and a table of over 20 major deserts. World desert map: This map shows the generalized location of Earth's ten largest deserts on the basis of surface area.

The table at the bottom of this page provides the names, generalized locations, and surface areas of over twenty major deserts. Base map by NOAA. Sand dunes in the Sahara Desert of Libya: Most people think of deserts as "sandy" landscapes. That is true part of the time. This is a view of sand dunes in the Sahara Desert of Libya - an area known as the Ubari (or Awbari) Sand Sea. Photo © iStockphoto / PatrickPoendl. What is a Desert? A desert is a landscape or region that receives very little precipitation - less than 250 mm per year (about ten inches). Approximately 1/3 of Earth's land surface is a desert. There are four different types of deserts based upon their geographic situation: 1) polar deserts, 2) subtropical deserts, 3) cold winter deserts, and 4) cool coastal deserts. As shown on the map above, deserts occur on all of Earth's continents. The Largest Desert The two largest deserts on Earth are in the polar areas. The Antarctic Polar Desert covers the continent of Antarctica and has a size of about 5.5 million square miles.

The second-largest desert is the Arctic Polar Desert. It extends over parts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. It has a surface area of about 5.4 million square miles. McMurdo Dry Valleys: The largest deserts on Earth are in the polar regions. This is one of the McMurdo "dry valleys" near Lake Hoare, Antarctica. The Canada Glacier is in the background. Photograph by Peter West, National Science Foundation. Non-Polar Deserts The rest of Earth's deserts are outside of the polar areas. The largest is the Sahara Desert, a subtropical desert in northern Africa. It covers a surface area of about 3.5 million square miles. A list of more than twenty of the largest non-polar deserts can be found below. Vegetation of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona: Cacti and grasses in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. Photo © iStockphoto / vlynder. The Desert Environment When most people think of a desert, they imagine a landscape covered with sand and sand dunes. Although many deserts are sand-covered, most are not. Many desert landscapes are rocky surfaces.

They are rocky because any sand-size or smaller particles on the surface are quickly blown away. Rocky deserts are barren wind-swept landscapes. Most deserts receive so little precipitation that surface streams usually only flow immediately after rainfall - unless the stream has a source of water outside of the desert. Streams that enter a desert usually suffer major water losses before they exit. Some of the water is lost to evaporation. Some is lost to transpiration (taken up by plants and then released to the atmosphere from the plants). And, some is lost to infiltration (water soaking into the ground through the bottom of the stream channel). Desert Fauna and Flora The plants and animals that live in a desert must be adapted to the environment. Plants must be very tolerant to intense sun, prolonged periods without precipitation, and have an ability to prevent moisture loss to conditions of severe temperature ranges, dry winds, and low humidity. Animals must be able to tolerate temperature extremes, temperature ranges, and have an ability to survive with very little water. Many animals adapt to desert conditions by living underground and being active at night.

Major Deserts of the World Name Largest Deserts in the World, Top Ten Largest Deserts Largest Deserts in the World Top Ten Largest Deserts in the World Top Ten Largest Deserts in the World The map below shows the locations of the ten largest deserts in the world, including the Sahara Desert and the Arabian Desert. Description: Map shows top ten largest deserts in the world. Disclaimer × Disclaimer : All efforts have been made to make this image accurate. However Compare Infobase Limited,its directors and employees do not own any responsibility for the correctness or authenticity of the same.

Largest Deserts in the World Rank North Africa (Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco,Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara) 3 Western Asia (Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen) 4 Southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa) 6 South America (Argentina and Chile) 8 Western Asia (Iraq, Jordan, and Syria) 9 North America (Mexico and United States) 11 North America (Mexico and United States) 15 Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) 16 South America (Chile and Peru) 23 Southern Africa (Angola and Namibia) 25 Iran About Deserts in the World Deserts are areas that receive little precipitation, classified as an area that receives less that 250 millimeters (10 inches) of annual precipitation on average. The classification also takes into account the potential evapotranspiration, or the amount of water that could be evaporated in the region.

Because of the lack of precipitation, deserts are often dry and barren in landscape, and commonly thought of as having hot climates. However, deserts can be hot or cold, and they exist in regions all across the world. The largest two deserts on Earth are both cold deserts, which are covered in ice and snow. About Polar Deserts The largest deserts in the world are polar deserts: the Antarctic Desert and the Arctic Desert. The Antarctic Desert covers an area of 13,829,430 square kilometers over the South Pole. Antarctica is the most extreme continent on Earth, as the coldest, driest and windiest place in the world ,and the highest elevation. The Arctic Desert is the northernmost region of the Earth, covering the North Pole over 12,726,937 square kilometers. The Arctic Desert is partially located in the United States, Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia. Sahara Desert The third largest desert in the world, and the largest non-polar desert is the Sahara.

Situated in North Africa, the Sahara makes up parts of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara. The Sahara Desert spans over 9,400,000 square kilometers across the continent, and is the world's hottest desert. The Arabian Desert is the fourth largest desert in the world, with an area of about 2,330,000 square kilometers. The Arabian Desert is situated on the Arabian peninsula, and makes up parts of Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Both the Sahara and Arabian Deserts are known for their sand and sand dunes, which are typical images of desert landscapes. The fifth largest desert on Earth is Asia's Gobi Desert. Situated in northwestern China and southern Mongolia, the Gobi Desert was created as a rain shadow from the tall Himalayan Mountains, which prevent rain from reaching Gobi. The Kalahari Desert is a subtropical desert in southern Africa, covering 900,000 square kilometers in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.

The Kalahari Desert ranks sixth in terms of largest deserts by area in the world. South America's Patagonian Desert is the seventh largest desert, at 670,000 square kilometers. The Patagonian Desert is located in Argentina and Chile, between the Andes Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. The Great Victoria Desert is next on the list, ranking eighth. The Great Victoria Desert spans about 647,000 square kilometers of Australia. The Syrian Desert has an area of about 520,000 square kilometers, and is situated in Iraq, Jordan, and Syria. The Great Basin Desert in the United States is the tenth largest desert in the world, covering an area of 492,000 square kilometers. Top Ten Largest Deserts Images Antarctica is a desert which has recorded an annual precipitation of only 200mm along the coast and the far less inland. It has no indigenous population. The As a cold desert, the Arctic Desert receives very little rain or snow. It serves as a habitat for organisms living in the ice, like zooplankton and phytoplankton.

As the largest hot desert in the world, Sahara Desert consists of rocky Hamada and ergs. Highest peak in the Sahara Desert is Emi Koussi. Located in Western Asia, Arabian Desert is a vast desert stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. As part of the Great Mongol Empire, the Gobi is a rain shadow desert. It is a cold desert and serves as the source of critical fossil finds, like dinosaur eggs. Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in southern Africa. It is home to a wide variety of migratory birds and animals. As the largest desert in Argentina, Patagonian is a cold winter desert. Volcanic rocks cover more than 120,000 sq. km of this desert. An interim Australian bioregion, the Great Victoria Desert is a sparsely populated desert area in Western Australia and South Australia. Syrian Desert is a combination of steppe and true desert, located in the northern Arabian Peninsula. Moreover, it is a pretty rocky and flat desert. Great Basin Desert is one of the four biologically defined deserts in North America. It has a variable weather on any given day.

10 Largest Deserts in the World - WorldAtlas.com Environment 10 Largest Deserts in the World Though many of the world's largest desert are characterized by heat and sand, the largest deserts on the planet will surprise you. Scenes of sandy dunes are what largely make up the Sahara and Arabian deserts, among others. A desert is characterized as an area whose landscape receives a significantly small amount of rainfall throughout the year. This land is mostly barren, since the dry living conditions make animal and plant life therein hostile. Nonetheless, it is estimated that about one third of the land surface of the earth is either arid or semi-arid. Deserts are classified depending on the amount of rain that falls, the causes of desertification there, their prevailing temperature, and by their geographical location. Animals and plants that live in deserts have special adaptations to help them survive the tough and hostile environment. Similarly, for many generations people have struggled to occupy desert regions as well. Nomads are desert-dwelling groups of people who mostly have moved with their flocks from area to area depending on where there are grazing opportunities available and the sporadic accessibility of the oases that have enabled windows of opportunity for settled life within these deserts.

10. Great Basin Desert - 190,000 Square Miles The Great Basin Desert is the largest desert in the United States of America. It covers a land surface area of about 190,000 square miles. It is bordered by the Rocky Mountains to the east, the Sierra Nevada range to the west, and the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts to the south, while the Columbia Plateau borders the desert to the north. This is a cold desert with precipitation of 7-12 inches per annum. Climate is characterized by extremes of dry, hot summers and snowy, cold winters. 9. Syrian Desert - 200,000 Square Miles This desert is a combination of a true desert and a steppe. It is located in the north of the Arabian Peninsula in the region of Syria. It occupies about 200,000 square miles of total landmass. The desert is flat, but very rocky. The landscape was formed by lava flows emanating from volcanic activities in the region of Jebel Druze in Syria. The Syrian Desert covers parts of Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. 8.

Patagonian Desert - 200,000 Square Miles This is the largest desert in the South American nation of Argentina, occupying a land surface area totalling about 200,000 square miles. It is primarily located in Argentina, though parts extend into Chile. Patagonia is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Andes Mountains to the west. It is a cold winter desert, and temperatures there rarely exceed 12 degrees celsius, and average only 3 degrees celsius. The desert is relatively windy due to the descending mountain air and the rain shadow effect. 7. Great Victoria Desert - 220,000 Square Miles The Great Victoria Desert, with its characteristic, numerous sand hills, is the largest desert in Australia, occupying about 220,000 square miles. It stretches from the Gawler Ranges of South Australia to the Eastern Goldfields region in Western Australia. Thunderstorms are very common in this desert, with an average of about 15-20 thunderstorms per year. During winter, temperatures in Great Victoria fall to around 20 degrees celsius, while during summer the temperature ranges from 32-40 degrees celsius.

Rainfall is erratic form year to year and low overall, typically ranging from 200-250 mm per annum. 6. Kalahari Desert - 360,000 Square Miles This is a vast, semi-arid savanna in southern Africa. The Kalahari covers a land surface of about 360,000 square miles. It covers parts of Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. The desert has large areas which are covered with red sand without permanent surface water drainage. It has seasonally inundated pans (dry basins or beds), dry valleys and salt pans. The Okavango is the only permanent river, which flows to a delta in the northwest. 5. Gobi Desert - 500,000 Square Miles Located in Asia, it covers parts of northwestern and northern China, and extends into the south of Mongolia. It occupies about 500,000 square miles of land surface. The Gobi is termed as a “rain shadow desert”, as it is in the lee-ward side of the Himalaya ranges which block the rain (“rain shadow”), keeping clouds from the Indian Ocean from reaching Gobi.

Most of the Gobi’s surface is not sandy, but rather exposed, bare rock. It is a cold desert and snow occasionally will accumulate on its dunes. 4. Arabian Desert - 900,000 Square Miles This desert is located in far Western Asia, covering most of the Arabian Peninsula. With a land surface of about 900,000 square miles, it engulfs much of Yemen, the Persian Gulf, Oman, Jordan and Iraq. Its center, Rub ’al-Khali, the “Empty Quarter”, forms the largest continuous body of sand in the world. The climate is very dry, while temperatures oscillate between regular, characteristically high heat on one end of the spectrum, and seasonal nighttime freezes on the other. The annual rainfall is around 100mm on average, but the driest areas receive as little as 30-40 mm of rain a year. 3. Sahara - 3,500,000 Square Miles This is the third largest desert overall, and the largest “hot desert” in the world. It occupies a surface area of about 3.5 million square miles.

This desert comprises most of the land in North Africa, excluding the fertile regions of Maghreb, the Atlas Mountains and the coastal region adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the desert is comprised of rocky Hamada, large land areas covered with sand dunes. The land surface is constantly being reshaped by winds and, far less frequently, the extremely low and rare rainfall. The central part of the desert is termed as “hyper-arid”, and there is no vegetation growing there as a result of the virtually nonexistent precipitation. Most of the rivers are intermittent and seasonal. The major exception is the Nile, which is the chief river across the desert. 2. Arctic - 5,400,000 Square Miles This desert occupies the “North Pole” region. The Arctic Desert forms the second largest desert globally, covering a land surface of about 5.4 million square miles. The desert partially occupies parts of territories claimed or controlled by Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. Precipitation generally occurs as snow, and winter temperatures can drop to less than -40 degrees celsius. The desert is characterized by high winds which stir up snow, creating an illusion of persistent and continuous snowfall.

The Arctic is very vulnerable to climate change. There has been a reduction of the sea ice there, increasingly raising concerns over Arctic ice cover shrinkage due to global warming, which could have profound impacts on weather patterns globally. 1. Antarctica - 5,500,000 Square Miles Antarctica is considered the most extreme continent on earth, and is located about the South Pole. On average, it is the driest, windiest, and coldest continent on earth, while also having the highest average elevation compared to any of the other continents. The entirety of Antarctica is a desert with an annual precipitation of less than 200mm. The temperatures are generally very cold, and may drop as low as -89 degree Celsius in winter, and as high as around 15 degrees celsius in the summer at times in some coastal places. For this reason, there are no permanent residents there. Temporary residents, ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 throughout the year, consist mainly of scientific researchers and their supporting personnel. The Antarctic Desert covers a total area about 5.5 million square miles.

Sunburn and vision problems are a concern to people in Antarctica, due to the glare of sun off of the ice. The Largest Deserts in the World Rank Top Ten Largest Deserts in the World | The Wondrous Top Ten Largest Deserts in the World Nature, Top Ten Pinterest0 10. Kara-Kum Desert, Uzbekistan / Turkmenistan In our list of largest deserts in the world at #10 is The Karakum Desert, also spelled Kara-Kum and Gara Gum is a desert in Central Asia. It occupies about 70 percent, or 350,000 km², of the area of Turkmenistan. Covering much of present day Turkmenistan, the Karakum Desert lies east of the Caspian Sea, with the Aral Sea to the north and the Amu Darya river and the Kyzyl Kum desert to the northeast. In modern times, with the shrinking of the Aral Sea, the extended “Aral Karakum” has appeared on the former seabed, with an estimated area of 15,440 sq.

The sands of the Aral Karakum are made up of a salt-marsh consisting of finely-dispersed evaporites and remnants of alkaline mineral deposits, washed into the basin from irrigated fields. The dusts blown on a powerful east-west airstream carry pesticide residues that have been found in the blood of penguins in Antarctica. Lets read about top ten largest deserts in the world. 9. Great Sandy Desert, Australia The Great Sandy Desert is a 360,000 km2 (140,000 sq mi) expanse in northwestern Australia. Roughly the same size as Japan, it forms part of a larger desert area known as the Western Desert. The vast region of Western Australia is sparsely populated, without significant settlements. The Great Sandy Desert is a flat area between the rocky ranges of the Pilbara and the Kimberley. To the southeast is the Gibson Desert and to the east is the Tanami Desert. The Rudall River National Park and Lake Dora are located in the southwest while Lake Mackay is located in the southeast. Image credit: yaruman5 8.

Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra Madre Oriental. On the U.S. side it occupies the valleys and basins of central and southern New Mexico, Texas west of the Pecos River and southeastern Arizona; south of the border, it covers the northern half of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, most of Coahuila, north-east portion of Durango, extreme northern portion of Zacatecas and small western portions of Nuevo León. It has an area of about 140,000 square miles. It is the third largest desert of the Western Hemisphere and is second largest in North America, after the Great Basin Desert. Via: wikipedia 7. Great Basin Desert, USA The Great Basin is the largest watershed of North America which does not drain to an ocean. Water within the Great Basin evaporates since outward flow is blocked.

The basin extends into Mexico and covers most of Nevada and over half of Utah, as well as parts of California, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming. The majority of the watershed is in the North American Desert ecoregion, but includes areas of the Forested Mountain and Mediterranean California ecoregions. The Great Basin includes several metropolitan areas and Shoshone Great Basin tribes. A wide variety of animals can be found in great basin desert. Look to the rocky slopes around the desert mountain ranges, you may spot a very rare desert bighorn sheep. Other mammals of the desert include kit fox, coyote, skunk, black-tailed jackrabbit, ground squirrels, kangaroo rat and many species of mice. Bird species are very diverse in desert oases. Via: wikipedia 6. Great Victoria Desert, Australia The Great Victoria Desert is a barren, arid, and sparsely populated desert ecoregion in southern Australia. It falls inside the states of South Australia and Western Australia and consists of many small sandhills, grasslands and salt lakes.

It is over 700 kilometres (430 mi) wide (from west to east) and covers an area of 424,400 square kilometres (163,900 sq mi). The Western Australia Mallee shrub ecoregion lies to the west, the Little Sandy Desert to the northwest, the Gibson Desert and the Central Ranges xeric shrublands to the north, the Tirari and Sturt Stony deserts to the east, and the Nullarbor Plain to the south separates it from the Southern Ocean. Image credit: Travel Collective 5. Patagonia Desert, Argentina The Patagonian Desert, also known as the Patagonia Desert or the Patagonian Steppe, is the largest desert in America and is the 7th largest desert in the world by area, occupying 260,000 square miles (673,000 km). It is located primarily in Argentina with small parts in Chile and is bounded by the Andes, to its west, and the Atlantic Ocean to its east, in the region of Patagonia, southern Argentina.

The Patagonian Desert is the largest continental landmass of the 40° parallel and is a large cold winter desert, where the temperature rarely exceeds 12°C and averages just 3°C. The region experiences about seven months of winter and five months of summer. Image credit: Melissa Toledo 4. Kalahari Desert, Southern Africa The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in Southern Africa extending 900,000 square kilometers (350,000 sq), covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari Desert is the southern part of Africa, and the geography is a portion of desert and a plateau. The Kalahari supports some animals and plants because most of it is not a true desert. There are small amounts of rainfall and the summer temperature is very high. It usually receives 3–7.5 inches (76–190 mm) of rain per year.

The surrounding Kalahari Basin covers over 2,500,000 square kilometers (970,000 sq mi) extending farther into Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, and encroaching into parts of Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The only permanent river, the Okavango, flows into a delta in the northwest, forming marshes that are rich in wildlife. Via: wikipedia 3. Gobi Desert, Mongolia / N.E China The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the southwest, and by the North China Plain to the southeast. The Gobi is made up of several distinct ecological and geographic regions based on variations in climate and topography. This desert is the fifth largest in the world. The Gobi is most notable in history as part of the great Mongol Empire, and as the location of several important cities along the Silk Road. Image Credit: PnP 2.

Arabian Desert, peninsula Arabian Desert or Eastern Desert, c.86,000 sq mi (222,740 sq km), E Egypt, bordered by the Nile valley in the west and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez in the east. It extends along most of Egypt’s eastern border and merges into the Nubian Desert in the south. The Arabian Desert is sparsely populated; most of its inhabitants are based around wells and springs. Today most of the desert can be accessed by roads. Since ancient times Egypt has used the porphyry, granite, limestone, and sandstone found in the desert mountains as building materials. Oil is produced in the north. The name Arabian Desert is also commonly applied to the desert of the Arabian Peninsula. Image Credit: Nick Leonard 1. Sahara Desert, North Africa The Sahara is the world’s largest desert. At over 9,000,000 square kilometers (3,500,000 sq mi), it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as the United States or the continent of Europe.

The desert stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean. To the south, it is delimited by the Sahel: a belt of semi-arid tropical savanna that comprises the northern region of central and western Sub-Saharan Africa. Top 10 Largest Deserts in the World | World Most The Most of things in the World Home » Largest » Top 10 Largest Deserts in the World Top 10 Largest Deserts in the World Tuesday, February 21st 2012. | Largest There are largest deserts in the world. A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Deserts can also be described as areas where more water is lost by evapotranspiration than falls as precipitation. Here are the top 10 largest deserts in the world. 10.

Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico Largest Deserts Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico The Chihuahuan Desert is a largest deserts that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra Madre Oriental. This largest deserts has an area of about 140,000 square miles. It is the third largest desert of the Western Hemisphere and is second largest in North America, after the Great Basin Desert. 9. Great Basin Desert, USA Largest Deserts Great Basin Desert, USA The basin extends into Mexico and covers most of Nevada and over half of Utah, as well as parts of California, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming. The majority of the watershed is in the North American Desert ecoregion, but includes areas of the Forested Mountain and Mediterranean California ecoregions. The Great Basin includes several metropolitan areas and Shoshone Great Basin tribes. 8. Great Victoria Desert, Australia Largest Deserts Great Victoria Desert, Australia The Great Victoria Desert is a barren, arid, and sparsely populated desert ecoregion in southern Australia.

It falls inside the states of South Australia and Western Australia and consists of many small sandhills, grasslands and salt lakes. It is over 700 kilometres (430 mi) wide (from west to east) and covers an area of 424,400 square kilometres (163,900 sq mi). 7. Patagonia Desert, Argentina Largest Deserts Patagonia Desert, Argentina The Patagonian Desert, also known as the Patagonia Desert or the Patagonian Steppe, is the largest desert in America and is the 7th largest desert in the world by area, occupying 260,000 square miles (673,000 km). It is located primarily in Argentina with small parts in Chile and is bounded by the Andes, to its west, and the Atlantic Ocean to its east, in the region of Patagonia, southern Argentina. 6.

Kalahari Desert, Southern Africa Largest Deserts Kalahari Desert, Southern Africa The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in Southern Africa extending 900,000 square kilometers (350,000 sq), covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari Desert is the southern part of Africa, and the geography is a portion of desert and a plateau. The Kalahari supports some animals and plants because most of it is not a true desert. 5. Gobi Desert, Mongolia / N.E China Largest Deserts Gobi Desert, Mongolia This largest deserts covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the southwest, and by the North China Plain to the southeast. he Gobi is most notable in history as part of the great Mongol Empire, and as the location of several important cities along the Silk Road. 4.

Arabian Desert, peninsula Largest Deserts Arabian Desert, peninsula Arabian Desert or Eastern Desert, c.86,000 sq mi (222,740 sq km), E Egypt, bordered by the Nile valley in the west and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez in the east. It extends along most of Egypt’s eastern border and merges into the Nubian Desert in the south. The Arabian Desert is sparsely populated; most of its inhabitants are based around wells and springs. 3. Sahara Desert, North Africa Largest Deserts Sahara Desert, North Africa The Sahara is the world’s largest deserts. At over 9,000,000 square kilometers (3,500,000 sq mi), it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as the United States or the continent of Europe. The desert stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean. To the south, it is delimited by the Sahel: a belt of semi-arid tropical savanna that comprises the northern region of central and western Sub-Saharan Africa. 2.

The Arctic Largest Deserts The Arctic The Arctic is a polar region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada,Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treelesspermafrost. The area can be defined as north of the Arctic Circle (66° 33’N), the approximate limit of the midnight sun and the polar night. 1. Antarctica Largest Deserts Antarctica Antarctica is Earth’s southernmost continent, containing the geographic South Pole. It is situated in theAntarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. At 14.0 million km2 (5.4 million sq mi), it is the fifth-largest continent in area after Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. For comparison, Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages at least 1 mile (1.6 km) in thickness. Antarctica is the largest deserts in the world.

What are the names of all deserts in Africa? | Reference.com What are the names of all deserts in Africa? A: Quick Answer The following deserts are found in Africa: Kalahari, Namib, Chalbi, Danakil, Sahara, Tanzerouft, White Desert, Eastern Desert, Sinai Desert, Blue Desert, Atlantic Coastal Desert and Libyan Desert, which is also called the Western Desert. The deserts in Africa vary widely in size and location. Some, such as the Kalahari and Sahara, are vast stretches of hot and barren lands that cover significant portions of the African continent, while others, such as the Atlantic Coastal Desert, are considerably smaller. Full Answer Some deserts exist in individual countries while others cross national boundaries. The Kalahari, for instance, covers parts of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. The Namib Desert, in contrast, resides in Namibia. Although they are different in size and physical characteristics, the Kalahari and the Namibia deserts exist close to each other on the African continent. The Kalahari covers approximately 360,000 square miles.

It covers a large section of land in the interior plateau of southern Africa, extends across the Northern Cape province in South Africa, and combines with the Namib Desert in Namibia. The Kalahari, like many deserts, has a hot and dry climate. It consists primarily of sand dunes and gently undulating sandy valleys, which share an approximate average elevation of 3,000 feet above sea level. The Kalahari consists of three primary topographical features: sand sheets, dunes and vleis. List of Top 10 Largest/ Biggest Deserts in the World - CountryDetail List of Top 10 Largest/ Biggest Deserts in the World Posted on April 14, 2016 Desert are the barren patches of land, loaded with sand dunes and are marked extreme dry weather climate. Such places face extreme conditions of hot climate, and life forms are usually deprived of water. But they still play a significant role in maintaining our ecosystem. Though they look barren from the outside, beneath this hard surface is a land rich in minerals and hydrocarbons. Years and even centuries pass by that accounts for the transformation of a land into a deserts.

Deforestation, destruction of natural habitats and other environmental factor causes such change. Now there are plenty of deserts that have surfaced on the face of the earth but of these, few are enormous ones which cover the wide span of the area stretching from one end to another. List of Top Ten Largest/ Biggest Deserts in the World by Area Following are the top ten largest deserts present in the world. The article provides you full depth analysis over their area, location, climatic conditions and life forms inhabiting them. 10. Chihuahuan Desert: 175,000 square miles (282,000 square km) Larger than the entire state of California, Chihuahuan Desert is located at the US-Mexico border touching the areas of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. The annual rainfall is as low as 9 inches a year. It is ranked at tenth position in the list of top ten world biggest deserts. It covers the area of 282000 square kilometers. There are as many as 300 caves underneath this humongous deserts and the mountain ranges of New Mexico Guadalupe; these caves are the rich source of Sulphur and limestone. 9.

Great Basin Desert: 190,000 square miles (492,000 square km) The Great Basin desert of America is highly distinctive and unique, unlike many other deserts it is Cold Desert, and here there is minimal rainfall whereas the it also experiences snowfall at times. It is ranked at ninth position in the list of top ten world largest deserts. It stretches across the state of Nevada, part of Utah and other surrounding states. The average rainfall a year ranges from 6 inches to 12 inches. 8. Syrian Desert: 200,000 square miles (518,000 sq km) The Syrian Desert is also termed as the “arid wasteland” It covers the huge area of Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the larger part of Syria. It is ranked at eight number in the list of top ten world biggest deserts. This region faces lava eruption and flows hence it was impenetrable until recent years. New Highways and oil pipelines are constructed in this area. It receives almost 5 inches of rain each year.

The excavation of this desert back in 2009 revealed that it was inhabited by the people of Syria’s Stonehenge. 7. The Great Victoria Desert: 250,000 square miles (647,000 sq km) Covering a huge part of Australia, the Great Victoria Desert consist of multiple sand dunes running parallel to one another. It is ranked at seventh position in the list of top ten world biggest deserts. It is famous for its red sand which came from the parts of Western Australian Shield. Whereas the color of sand changes to white if you move towards the south. It has shown great variation in rainfall patterns over the years. But by an average of last few decades, the average rainfall turned out to be 6.4 inches per year. 6. Patagonian Desert: 260,000 square miles (673,000 square km) The desert of Patagonia is located across the land of Argentina. It is ranked at sxth position in the list of top ten world biggest deserts. It starts from the coasts of Atlantic Ocean and reaches to The Andes.

This desert lies in the “rain shadow” of mountain ranges of Patagonia. Some part of the desert annually receives about 6 to 8 inches of rainfall. The environment is extremely arid as the rate of evaporation is much faster than the precipitation. 5. Kalahari Desert: 360,000 square miles (930,000 square km) Situated in the midst of South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana is the Kalahari Desert. It is considered to be the the fifth world most largest deserts in the world. It tends to receive even less than 500mm of rainfall a year, which is approximately around 20 inches. About 12 thousand years ago the desert was formed by the accumulation of layers of sand sheers. And since then these layers stayed the same. Excavation at Kalahari proved that it was once inhabited by human civilization. 4. Gobi Desert: 800,000 square miles (1.3 million square km) Gobi desert is ranked at fourth position in the list of top ten world largest deserts. covers he huge portions of China and Mongolia.

It experiences arid climate in most of its regions whereas it has the monsoon-like season. The average rainfall ranges from 2 to 8 inches which differ from region to region. During summer, it receives more rainfall in some parts. Gobi deserts seems like the great place for dinosaur hunting and excavation of their old fossils. Back in 2012, a rare Tyrannosaurus skeleton was found buried under its dunes. 3. Arabian Desert: 900,000 square miles (2.3 million square km) The desert experiences the scorching high temperature of 129F. It is located in Saudi Arabia, parts of Oman, Iraq, and surrounding countries. It is placed at 3rd number in the list of top ten world largest deserts. The central region of this desert faces extreme high temperature whereas the regions near the coastlines and highlands experiences comparatively moderate temperatures. The annual rainfall on average is about 4 inches, but it varies from area to area, it can vary from 0 inches to even up to 20 inches a year. 2.

Sahara: 3.3 million square miles (8.6 million sq km) Perhaps the most famous desert by its size and harsh climate is the Sahara desert. It is placed at 2nd position in the list of top ten world largest deserts. It is located in the midst of Africa, touching the high volcano of Emi Koussi located in Chad. It receives about .9 inches of rainfall annually which could get as low as 0.2 inches. Nights are comparatively cold, and little precipitation can be seen. 1. Antarctica: 5.5 million square miles (14.2 million sq km) Located around the South Pole, the icy Antarctica world largest desert which is cold. The average precipitation fall is about 2 inches per year. Vast glaciers of ice cover the entire desert. No vegetation and live forms can be seen in most of its barren regions. The highest temperature remains around 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit. List of Top Ten World Largest Deserts by Area & Size: o.

Question: The world's largest hot desert, what is the name of the barren expanse that covers most of North Africa?
Answer: Sahara